Month

July 2013

I have been planning my family’s epic road trip to LA for over a week and, during that time, I have been learning that, in order to become the person I am becoming, I must choose to be the person I am becoming more times a day.

Out of sheer habit, I frequently express myself as disempowered, stressed out and confused. Force to be reckoned with? Who me?

But in order to pull this thing together – harness two unruly children, coordinate weeks of travel plans and gatherings at which I will do readings for clients old and new, and budget from money I don’t even have yet – I’ve needed to express some entirely different qualities: intuition, courage, faith, and a deep sense of inner authority that my guidance is correct and that my work matters. More times a day.

There have been many spiritual teachers and leaders I have admired over the years. But I was only exposed to them at a point in their lives when they were already known. Because they came into my awareness so far along in their own journeys, I unthinkingly assumed that they were born that way – their mantles of authority already intact.

Instead, I’ve learned that claiming such a mantle for myself requires that I mindfully practice letting my inner light shine – especially in the presence of contesting inner voices that demand I am unworthy, incompetent, undeserving, ignorant or just plain off-track.

In writing this blog, I walk a fine line between providing wisdom and revealing my own struggles walking a path dedicated to being a vehicle for spirit in the world. And yet, these things can be one and the same. Sometimes the wisdom comes from the struggle itself.

My epic road trip is not yet a success, but what I’ve learned in the planning has already been worthwhile. I couldn’t plan this trip if I was disempowered, stressed out and confused. So instead I have to be something else.

And it turns out the something else I’ve had to be is exactly who I’ve wanted to become: a person who believes in the value of my work and the value of the guidance I encourage others to follow every day.

Regardless of my clients’ struggles, my intention is always that they find a way to live in harmony with their highest selves and make powerful, soul-centered decisions guided by their innermost truths.

In planning a series of upcoming readings events, however, I’ve become newly re-aware of another essential aspect of my work: discerning what exactly is blocking someone’s essential truth from emerging right now.

To me, this has always been a particularly exciting and educational aspect of my work because there are as many obstacles to the expression of one’s truth as there are people. The possibilities, in fact, are endless.

I can’t tell you by looking at someone what stops them. But when I look at their cards, I can see entire constellations of fears and behavior that prevent them from taking the risks necessary to live a soul-centered life.

Sometimes, I see someone fearing the destruction that may be unleashed when the truth gets out. At other times, a person is so judgmental of certain, very human, qualities that he or she won’t look at themselves honestly for fear of finding something unacceptable.

Sometimes I see a person trying to avoid unacknowledged pain – fearful of being obliterated by their own enormous grief. At other times, an individual may be tottering on the edge of their comfort zone and lacking the faith – or connection to a higher power – that will have them make a jump.

I believe that, in our hearts, we all want to live in harmony AND we all long to have our outer lives reflect our inner truths.

As human beings, we yearn to see our deepest passions blossom in the light of day. But when it’s not clear what’s holding us back, it makes it that much harder to make the best choices towards those ends.

When I am able to help someone discover what those blockages are, often only then can they take the first steps towards consciously choosing whether to remain in fear or choose something new: whether to remain in the bud, or open to bloom.

It is always an honor to be such an important part of someone’s journey to self – and soul – discovery. But no matter how much safety and love I can offer, the choosing part is always up to them. If you knew what was holding you back, what would you choose?

Instead, Lean Inresonated with me in more ways than I could have possibly expected and enlightened me to things I’d never understood – about myself, about other people, about my own trajectory in life.

Most poignantly, it reawakened me to the discomfort I felt earlier in life when people would ask me what I wanted to do. I knew what I wanted; I wanted to inspire people all over the world with stirring films of mysticism and daring. With all my heart, I wanted to be George Lucas. I wanted to be a Jedi.

But I couldn’t say what I wanted without feeling guilty, ashamed and nauseous. I couldn’t lean in to my own ambitions because they seemed wrong and not humble enough. And, more than anything, it seemed as if my ambitions would make people think I thought too highly of myself. Conceited was what we derisively called girls like that on the playground.

I frequently hear the same from clients – that the things they really want are too big and too ambitious, or sometimes even too small and too silly, to realistically pursue. But whatever their ambitions, often they’re just too embarrassing to admit.

What do you want? What do you reallywant that you lean away from? And how can you lean into it today?

Is it a stand for justice? A humanitarian cause? A healthy planet or a healthy body? If you weren’t afraid of what people would think, what would you do? Right now?

I may not still want to be a filmmaker, but I still want to inspire people all over the world to lead lives of mysticism and daring. And I still want to be a Jedi. A Jedi Master.

On the one hand, this blog is a medium for the observations and insights that occur in the course of my work and my spiritual practice. On the other, it’s an opportunity to remind you why it may be a good idea to work with me – whether you need counseling on a dilemma in one brief session or continued guidance for an extended period of time.

So. Why work with me?

We live in a world inundated with noise. When we are together – in person or over the phone – we pay attention to what’s quiet.

We live in a confusing world that is constantly telling you what it thinks you should want. When we are together, we cut through the confusion, discover what’s really going on, and help you remember what you really want.

We live in a world that values how we look, what we do and how much we have. When we work together, you give me the privilege of seeing and accepting who you really are and, in return, I reflect that person back to you. When we work together, you experience yourself as already perfect.

It’s easy to forget how much your life matters and how much power you really have. I never forget. And I always want you to remember, because I know the difference your life makes in the world. When we work together, your life makes a difference and your choices make a difference too.

A life lived in harmony with one’s own spirit is distinctly different from any other. It may be unfamiliar, it may even be uncomfortable, but when you start to bring your outer world in alignment with your inner world, everything starts to change for the better. Together we can change your life.